Mediterranean Diet Lowers Many Health Risks

The Mediterranean diet is known to protect against heart disease, but it may also reverse metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms linked to heart disease and diabetes.

The findings was conducted by researchers from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and the Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan de Reus in Reus, Spain.

“In this large, multicentre, randomized clinical trial involving people with high cardiovascular risk, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil was associated with a smaller increase in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome compared with advice on following a low-fat diet. Because there were no between-group differences in weight loss or energy expenditure, the change is likely attributable to the difference in dietary patterns.”

The researchers wondered how this diet could affect metabolic syndrome, because the diet is known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, lead to better health, longer life and less age-related cognitive decline.

This diet has olive oil, seeds and nuts, whole grains and beans, moderate quantities of dairy in the form of yogurt and cheese, moderate quantities of fish and poultry, low to moderate consumption of red wine; and low consumption of red meat.